Another relative newcomer, the Bazurto Social Club (Avenia del Centenario Carrera 9, 30-42; 57-5664-3124; bazurtosocialclub.com) opened in 2009. There, the house band, the Bazurto All Stars, play cumbia, reggae and ’70s era Afro-Colombian sounds like champeta amid Christmas lights and graffiti. The chef and owner, Jorge Escandón, named the restaurant and nightclub after a nearby marketplace. “We wanted to take the name of the market because this place embodies the joy of working people, the color of tropical fruits and the music of the people,” he said.

Mr. Escandón said he had lured his regulars like the Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez from his other restaurant, La Cevicheria, to this new place, beyond the old city’s stone walls.

“Now Getsemaní is better lit, more secure, and there are more tourist options,” Mr. Escandón said. “It adds another element to the city.”